


Why Wilfred Mott Stares at the stars

by Lessa



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-04 06:42:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1077810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lessa/pseuds/Lessa





	Why Wilfred Mott Stares at the stars

 

     In the time that the Doctor had known Donna she had spoken about her Grandad and his stargazing. Her best mate had even hovered overhead as Donna hung out of the TARDIS to wave to Wilf in his allotment; he knew that the scrap of genuine self esteem his companion possessed when she had come aboard was because of the old man, but never did he question  _why_  Wilf spent his nights staring at the sky. It was simple really. The Doctor simply wasn't the first man from the stars to cross the old man's path.

 

The timelines were so complicated and scrambled by now that Jack had managed to be posted further afield to avoid meeting himself or his current self meeting past friends and enemies. He'd always had a lot of charisma and been charming, always alone but not without friends, at least this time he wasn't amidst the blitz this time. He'd always been somewhat drawn to the calm and 

quiet type and  this time he was stationed with just such a young man, as yet innocent of causing injury to another and if Jack could help it that would remain the case for a long time. Wilfred Mott was a gentle soul who abhorred war and unlike some of the other men Jack was not fool enough to confuse that with cowardice. When others had mocked him for staring up at the heavens Jack had simply gone to sit with him, the wisdom this young man had was a kind of balm to Jack. No hate, just compassion.

 

       Early in their friendship Wilf had confided to Jack that the main reason he took every chance  that he could get  to watch the sky was for the perspective it gave. Looking at maps, even at globes you got the sense that this war had consumed everyone, tainted all things in one way or another; if one turned to the stars it dwarfed even the enormity of what was taking place on the ground. The possibilities seemed far vaster, it was more than a distraction, it was what he turned to for the restoration of hope, symbolic even.

Jack remembered the Doctor once telling him that all things ended (that seemed more than a little ironic now) The stars Wilf said would outlast them all, shining brighter in the darkest nights. Jack smiled at the old romantic. He'd be lying if he denied there was an attraction there but Wilf wasn't one for a fling even if he'd been interested in men, the man had no sweetheart waiting at home but Jack knew there would be someone special for Wilfred. 

   Once or twice when they'd managed to skywatch together the young man had wondered aloud about worlds beyond, whether other eyes watched their own star from afar. Jack had responded with some off the cuff remarks about the Earth not being ready yet and the beauty of other skies. Wilf had thought he was joking when the immortal said he was watching for a little blue box always. It would be over half a century before he finally understood the wistful look in those blue eyes and when he did it would be another one he loved that flew away with a madman in a little blue, dimension transcendent policebox.

 

Jack had promised the Doctor he watch over Donna specially, he understood. It wasn't just the Doc though, when Jack realised who had raised Donna and shaped her into the amazing woman she was and could never remember she was he had sworn to that man he would look after his grandaughter. Jack had enjoyed seeing his old friend again and the joy it had given the old man (young to him) to hear stories of the TARDIS and the places Donna had seen, he'd made a point of looking up her appearances in earth history and taken some delight in informing Wild that she had probably inspired her own name, Donna translating as 'noble'. Now, stored where his unfired gun had lain for so long was in it's place was an ancient carving Jack had tracked down that was unmistakably Donna and the Doctor, both looking happy, looking just  _right_  together. Next to it was a growing sheave of myths with distinctive flame haired heroines. 

It made his throat ache and his heart swell with pride in her.

 

          The day his first great grandchild was born, a red headed girl with lungs to match her mothers Wilf made his own promise; River would know about her mother- the most important woman in the universe, and she would know about the Doctor, the man from the stars. Wilf trusted that her gentle, stammering father would keep her legacy safe until River herself could, he would ensure that the second man to ever treat his grandaughter as the precious gift that she was knew why he stared at the stars. That night he stared up at the sky sending a silent thanks to the Doctor wherever he was. Wilf knew that the Doctor had paid a high price in never being able to see his friend again, her life was still missing a piece but she was finally completely happy again and he knew it was thanks to Jack and the Doctor, his men from the stars. Wilf's time was nearly gone. Soon there would fall a night that he could not climb the hill to gaze at the sky for her, for them;

but everything ends and that is alright he thinks, because the story is not over and his beautiful girl's chapter will be remembered. It was written forever in the stars.


End file.
